Thursday, June 30, 2016

Starz is looking to give fans a groovy time at Comic-Con this year, as they have announced an Ash vs Evil Dead Season 2 screening, autograph session, and panel featuring the show's cast and crew.
From 6:45pm–7:45pm on Saturday, July 23rd in Room 6A, an Ash vs Evil Dead panel will take place with Bruce Campbell, Lucy Lawless, Rob Tapert, Dana DeLorenzo, Ray Santiago, Lee Majors, Ted Raimi, and Sam Raimi as the expected special guests.

Earlier that same day, from 2:00pm–3:00pm at the Ash vs Evil Dead cabin in the Petco Park Interactive Zone, fans can get autographs from select members of the Ash vs Evil Dead cast and crew, and that evening at 10:00pm in Room 6DE, a special screening will provide fans with a look at the upcoming second season premiering this October on Starz. We'll be sure to keep Daily Dead readers updated on further details.

Sunday, June 26, 2016

In the woods of Morristown, Tennessee, just past Martin Road, are all that's left of the chimney where the Necronomicon met its fiery demise. That, and a tomb-sized hole in the ground where a witch locked in a cellar desperately tried to lure a young Linda to her doom.

The Sydney-based West goes to Los Angeles twice a year to audition for roles arranged by her agent UTA and Untitled Management. In Australia she is repped by Shanahan Management. After Don’t Tell wrapped she went to Auckland to film two episodes of Ash vs Evil Dead as a character named Tanya, whom she describes as a bookworm. “It was fun to do because it stretched me in a really different way,” she says. “It was really heightened, whereas everything I normally do is quite close to home in terms of emotions.” She enjoyed her scenes with Bruce Campbell’s Ash Williams and the other regular cast members, observing, “They are all such good friends, a really cool group of people. Bruce is the crazy one and everyone else around him plays it for real.”

Friday, June 24, 2016

For fans of Joel and Ethan Coen’sBlood Simple, it’s a familiar scene: a bloodied man struggles out of a car and crawls his way down a desolate highway. But look again at that clip above: that’s not Dan Hedaya, who played the role of doomed Julian Marty in the 1984 film. It’s Bruce Campbell. Wait, what’s Bruce Campbell doing here?

What we have above is the teaser trailer for Blood Simple—never before seen online—that the Coen Brothers made to sell investors on what would become their first feature film. Coen fans may be able to make the Bruce Campbell connection from there: the Coens were friends with Evil Dead director Sam Raimi at the time, and it was Raimi who convinced them to make this proof-of-concept trailer in the first place. Campbell had starred in The Evil Dead for Raimi (and assistant editor Joel Coen) three years earlier, and with Evil Dead II in 1987 would begin his reign as a genuine cult celebrity.

“Sam taught us that if you call on the phone and ask people to invest in a movie they’ll tell you to go hell,“ Joel Coen explains in an interview that will be featured on the upcoming Criterion Collection DVD and Blu-ray release of Blood Simple, which will be available in September. “But if you tell them ‘I have a piece of film to show you,’ then some of the would let you come into their living room and set up your little projector and show it to them.”

Thursday, June 23, 2016

Last year, Starz found its first out-and-out triumph with Ash vs Evil Dead, a continuation of the universe started by Sam Raimi‘s classic horror film The Evil Dead. What proved to be so surprising about the series is not how well the frenzied, hilarious tone of Raimi’s original film, as well as Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness, transferred over, or how well the iconic Bruce Campbell anchored a full season of television, but rather how well the world that Raimi, alongside a variety of writers, directors, and producers, was built and expanded within the ten-episode inaugural season. The fact that every episode was both scary and very funny didn’t hurt at all.

Not surprisingly, the anticipation for the second season has been growing rapidly since the season finale, and we recently got a few bits of major news about the upcoming season. First of all, season 2 is set to premiere on September 23rd on Starz, right in the middle of the kick-off of the fall television season. Second of all, the series will add a trio of actors to its roster, beginning with Raimi’s own brother, Ted Raimi, who is set to play Ash’s best friend from high school who rejoins his pal on the road to a particularly strange hell. On top of that, Michele Hurd, straight off an excellent run on Daredevil‘s second season, will be playing his high school love interest, and Lee Majors will be playing Brock Williams, Ash’s long-lost father.

Last night at the Saturn Awards in Los Angeles, we were able to speak with Bruce Campbell for a few minutes on the red carpet. He talked about season two and what fans can expect, teased a great scene with Ash’s robotic hand, and praised Starz for allowing them the creative freedom to make Evil Dead. Check out what he had to say in the video above and look for plenty more Ash vs Evil Dead in the coming months.

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Bruce Campbell as Ash Williams in a promo image for Ash vs Evil Dead: Season 2

Terri Schwartz writes:

Walking around the set of Ash vs Evil Dead, it's normal to pass decapitated heads, boxes of intestines and empty skin suits. It's near impossible to leave without a layer of sticky blood on the bottom of your shoes. But none of that phases the cast and crew, because it's nowhere near as absurdly, hilariously insane as what is being filmed.

Starz delighted fans of Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell's cult classic Evil Dead franchise when it announced it would be launching a sequel series reteaming the two called Ash vs. Evil Dead. The first season teamed Ash with new friends Pablo (Ray Santiago) and Kelly (Dana DeLorenzo), who went on a road trip to the infamous Evil Dead cabin to try to destroy the Necronomicon. They ended up unleashing hell -- literally -- in the process.

For Season 2, executive producer Rob Tapert promises that things are going to get even crazier.

"It's a far bigger and more ambitious season than Season 1," he told me, sitting in Ash vs Evil Dead's New Zealand production offices. "From a production point of view, the stories are much bigger, the cast is larger. It's still Evil Dead-like, but the canvas is broader this season. So I think that the writers have posited some really good things, and we've been able to embellish this season, what was in the scripts, and make a really wild, visceral ride for the audience."

Today is the immortal Bruce Campbell’s 58th birthday! In honor of the day, NECA has shared a photo of the “Hero Ash” packaging for their Ash vs Evil Dead line. The 7″ scale figure will come packaged in their collector friendly window box packaging, as opposed to the plastic backer we normally see.

We’re incredibly excited to announce that Bloody Disgusting is sponsoring this year’s Bruce Campbell Horror Film Festival, which returns for its third annual festivities from August 18-21, in conjunction with Wizard World Chicago.

While our top secret surprise screening is to be announced (it’s going to blow you away), today they’ve announced the main line-up that opens with Evil Dead director Fede Alvarez‘s Don’t Breathe (read our review); a salute to genre hero Fred Dekker; an epic event featuring comedian Doug Benson; and my personal favorite, a 25th anniversary celebration of the most excellent sequel, Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey with director Peter Hewitt in attendance! (Additional guests for this screening will be announced at a later date.)

The festivities will kick off on Thursday, August 18, with the opening night film Don’t Breathe, the highly anticipated shocker from director-producer-writer Fede Alvarez (Evil Dead) and produced by Sam Raimi & Rob Tapert. Alvarez will be in attendance. This will reunite Campbell with Alvarez, who directed the successful 2013 remake of Evil Dead. Sony Pictures is set to release Don’t Breathe on August 26.

The inaugural “Groovy as Hell” award will be presented to writer/director Fred Dekker (Fox’s upcoming The Predator). The awards ceremony will consist of a 30th anniversary screening of the cult classic Night of The Creeps and a very special screening of The Monster Squad with actors Andre Gower (Sean) & Ryan Lambert (Rudy) also in attendance.

Festival favorite Doug Benson (Doug Loves Movies, Chromic-Con, Super High Me) will be in town for a very special ‘Doug Benson Movie Interruption’ of Army of Darkness, with guest interrupter Bruce Campbell! The two will sit in the front row together with a selection of mystery comedy guests, and say whatever hilarious stuff that pops into their head. A limited amount of single tickets for this event are on sale now!

I know you worked on the first “Evil Dead” film. Was that your first experience collaborating artistically with Bruce, or did you two know each other before that?

Josh Becker: I met Bruce when we were 12 in junior high school. His locker was a couple down from me — they were alphabetical: Becker, Campbell — and I don’t specifically remember meeting him. We were in an acting class and a play, “The Lottery,” and I cast Bruce in his first movie, “Oedipus Rex,” that I shot in ninth grade. We then went on and made quite a few Super-8 movies together over the next several years, along with our friend, Sam Raimi. When we were 21, we went to Tennessee and spent 11 weeks shooting “Evil Dead.” We then came back to Michigan and spent the better part of the next two years finishing the film.

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Bruce Campbell, best known for his role as horror hero Ash Williams in the Evil Dead franchise, turns 58 on June 22, and Psychotronic Film Society of Savannah is throwing a party in his honor.

PFS has a long history of blowing out the candles for sci-fi saints and B-movie bosses, and founder Jim Reed feels Campbell is a truly worthy candidate for a Society salute.

“I have loved Bruce Campbell’s unique blend of deadpan humor and faux-macho shtick since the early 1980s when I first became aware of him in the original Evil Dead,” Reed explains. “He’s a much better and more nuanced actor than many people give him credit for, which is probably because so many of his roles tend to be in genre films or TV shows that primarily deal with horror, sci-fi, fantasy or action—or all four, if we’re lucky. A lot of folks tend to marginalize such genres and not appreciate the serious craft that goes into maintaining the kind of compelling, charismatic and imminently watchable persona that Bruce seems to possess in real life, and which he reliably brings to his acting jobs.”

To honor the icon, PFS will host a prize giveaway with Campbell-related swag and screen rare 1997 crime thriller Running Time, directed by Josh Becker (Xena: Warrior Princess, Alien Apocalypse, more). Campbell leads as Carl, a prison inmate who’s received an early release. Ten years in the pen won’t stop Carl from returning to his old ways, though: he spent his sentence plotting the ultimate heist and is ready to set the plan in motion.

All right, you primitive screwheads… listen up! Like any self-respecting horror fan, you’ve probably already laid aside some cash to donate to the Evil Dead 2 board game’s Kickstarter, which launches in less than two weeks (see our announcement article).

Until then, we’ve got some awesome new images of the playing cards that will be featured in the game, and by looking at them, I think you can literally feel your wallet becoming lighter.

Monday, June 20, 2016

He survived a night in the cabin, he fought the Deadites and won, he has the coolest prosthetic hand ever, and he's the latest addition to the Living Dead Dolls family!

Hail to the king baby: it's Ash from the cult classic horror comedy film Evil Dead 2, and he is ready to spray some Deadite brains all over aisle 5.

Ash comes with his infamous chainsaw hand, a rifle, and the Necronomicon. Ash stands ten inches tall, features five points of articulation, and comes packaged in a collector-friendly, specially die-cut window box.

Sunday, June 19, 2016

The Starz Original Series “Ash vs Evil Dead” will get it’s first home media release when Season 1 hits stores on Blu-ray Disc August 23, 2016. The 2015 season will come in a 2-Disc Blu-ray set (as well as 2-Disc DVD edition) from Starz/Anchor Bay containing all 10 episodes of the comedy/horror series.

Friday, June 17, 2016

After a quick tease yesterday, NECA has released full details for their upcoming Evil Dead 2 – Ash Williams Ultimate 7″ Scale Figure. Fans can expect the figure to hit stores in September. It will include some iconic accessories, such as a Necronomicon (The Book of the Dead), a severed hand, interchangeable arms, a severed Linda head and much more. Check out the info below:

Evil Dead 2: One of the horror greats and a true cult classic!

From the 1987 movie starring the one and only Bruce Campbell, we present the definitive collector’s version of Ash! Ultimate Ash features all new fully articulated legs and tons of accessories, including 2 interchangeable heads (regular and possessed sculpts), interchangeable right forearms, severed possessed hand, Linda head, Necronomicon, tape recording machine, shotgun and axe accessories. With over 25 points of articulation, he’s fully poseable and ready to rock your world!

Thursday, June 16, 2016

Space Goat and Studiocanal are teaming for a crowdfunded “Evil Dead 2″ board game that will allow you to fend off deadites as Ash Williams himself.

Though the Kickstarter has yet to launch, an official website has surfaced for the game, which includes a countdown to the launch of the fundraiser.

The game is poised to operate as a tile and miniature survival/horror that will be sold as both a standard and deluxe version, with eight custom figures. Each round takes approximately 60-90 minutes, for up to six players.

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

We love giving stuff away, and it’s always a blast to partner up with our buds at Fun.com/HalloweenCostumes.com to give you fright fanatics some interesting objects of horror. This time around, we’ve got a replica prop Necronomicon Ex-Mortis (Book of the Dead) from 1987’s EVIL DEAD 2, which is pretty effin awesome if you ask me. So, if you feel like getting “Groovy” and invoking some spirits, here’s your chance.

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Award shows are usually a load of bunk. We all know that, right? Well this year, one man has a plan to make the Emmys groovy again. Bruce Campbell, star of everything from Xena and Hercules to Burn Notice and disrupting weather forecasts, has made the wildest pitch: that he should be nominated for an Emmy for Best Actor in a Comedy series, specifically for Ash vs. The Evil Dead. For the proudly B-list actor who excels at playing goofy, loud-mouthed characters and is happy to be avoid the fakery of tinseltown, a nomination would be a victory for all the unsung stage and screen heroes out there. Besides, if anyone deserves it, it’s him. #Ash4Emmy

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

EXCLUSIVE:Bruce Campbell has never been shy about promotion and looking for a good time — and now he’s put the two together. TheAsh Vs. Evil Dead star is about to begin campaigning hard to make the “Emmys groovy again” and snag himself a nomination.

Aiming for an Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series nom, the bid for the man who played Ronald Reagan in the last installment of Fargo will see billboards like the image above going up next week around intersections like Sunset and Fairfax in Los Angeles to promote his near-iconic Ash Williams role in the Starz series. However, going a bit less traditional, the real blood and guts and laughs come in a fan-driven push on social media and digital paid advertising set to start tomorrow with four separate video ads:

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

When it comes to horror comedy, it simply doesn’t get any better than Army of Darkness. For as magnificent as Bruce Campbell was in the third of the Evil Dead films, however, we thought it would be interesting to catch up with one of the supporting characters from the picture we all know and love.

And that’s where Richard “Ricky” Grove entered the picture. I wanted to chat with Duke Henry the Red, damn it!

#animenzlive is covering the Wellington Armageddon Expo and we filmed the Ash vs Evil Dead panel with Ray Santiago, Dana DeLorenzo and Ted Raimi!
Live coverage of the Armageddon Expo in Westpac Stadium. Get the latest @ http://bit.ly/anzlive

Friday, June 3, 2016

Fright Rags channels the cellar-dwelling evil of the Naturom Demonto to celebrate the upcoming 35th anniversary of The Evil Dead with an apparel collection that includes six new T-shirts, a baseball tee, socks, and a poster.
Priced at $27.00 apiece for the T-shirts, $37.00 for the baseball tee, $12.00 for the socks, and $10.00 per poster, The Evil Dead collection items will be available to order beginning on Wednesday, June 8th at 10:00am EST on Fright Rags’ website.

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 3 hit theaters nine years ago, and since then, we've seen two more actors take on the role of Peter Parker after Tobey McGuire, with Andrew Garfield in The Amazing Spider-Man movies, and Tom Holland, who made his MCU debut in Captain America: Civil War. Before the character was rebooted twice, Sam Raimi was set to make Spider-Man 4. But Sony ultimately scrapped it and moved forward with The Amazing Spider-Man reboot instead. Today we have new details from an artist who worked on Spider-Man 4, revealing the villains who would have been. These included Vulture and Mysterio.

We don't get to see much of Mysterio in this artwork, but he is seen in a number of storyboards where Spider-Man is turning him over to the police. But Vulture is prominently featured in this artwork. Before the project was shut down, there were plenty of rumors swirling around the project, with Rachel McAdams reportedly being eyed for the role of Felicia Hardy, a.k.a. Black Cat and John Malkovich rumored to play Vulture. Sony pulled the plug in January 2010, announcing a new reboot that would eventually become 2012's The Amazing Spider-Man. The artwork seems to indicate that Bruce Campbell would have played Mysterio, which isn't terribly surprising since the actor has had roles in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy. He played a ring announcer in 2002's Spider-Man, a "Snooty Usher" in Spider-Man 2 and a Maitre'd in Spider-Man 3.